Providing culturally affirming, community-rooted midwifery and reproductive care across the lifespan.
Our Philosophy
At Aya Birth & Community Wellness, we believe:
Care should be rooted in safety, dignity, and relationship.
People should be centered in reproductive and wellness care.
Reproductive health is shaped by culture, history, community, and lived experience.
Midwifery wisdom, evidence-based practice, and reproductive justice must guide care.
Informed choice and bodily autonomy are fundamental to respectful, ethical care.
Every person has the right to care that is culturally affirming and free from harm.
Strong outcomes are built through trust, continuity, and community-centered care.
Supporting the full reproductive lifespan restores connection, improves outcomes, and helps families feel seen, heard, and supported.
The Symbolism Behind Aya?
Aya is an Akan symbol from West Africa that symbolizes endurance, resourcefulness, perseverance, and quiet strength. The fern bends, adapts, and continues to grow, even when the environment is harsh.
The Aya symbol reflects our commitment to:
Resilience — honoring the strength of families navigating systems not built for them
Endurance — providing consistent, long-term care across the reproductive lifespan
Protection — creating safe spaces for birth, healing, and wellness
Growth — supporting families, providers, and communities as they thrive
Connection to ancestry — grounding our work in African American knowledge systems and cultural memory
Birth centers offer a safe, evidence-based alternative to hospital birth for healthy, low-risk pregnancies. They combine the comfort of home with the safety of professional medical care.
At Aya, birth center care means:
Longer, relationship-based visits
Continuity of care with midwives you know and trust
Lower rates of unnecessary interventions
A calm, supportive birth environment
Respect for physiologic birth and informed choice
Research consistently shows that birth centers have excellent outcomes, including lower cesarean rates, fewer medical interventions, high client satisfaction, and strong safety records when integrated with appropriate medical backup.
The Aya Team is committed to being a calm, reassuring presence at your birth while providing support, information, and a safe environment. We help facilitate a positive and empowering birth experience by allowing birth to occur naturally.
Why Choose A Birth Center
“At Aya Birth & Community Wellness, everyone is welcome. We honor family in all its forms and offer personalized, respectful care grounded in dignity, trust, and a deep commitment to communities that have been historically underserved.”
- The Aya Team
What People Are Saying about Care at Aya
“Tina is a wonderful midwife. She was attentive to our needs and helped us have the birth we wanted, on our own terms. We also loved the placenta print. We would highly recommend this practice.”
— A. S.
“Our birth was AMAZING, peaceful and calm. The tub was like an epidural. My birth was extremely positive and empowering. The postpartum care made it easy to spend quality time with our new baby. ❤”
— A.A.
“Incredible midwifery care. Personal, non judgmental, relationship and trust centered. Knowing that Tina and her team were my care providers during my pregnancy put my mind at ease, both because Tina and her team have all the clinical skills needed, but also because of their deep commitment to listening, joint decision making, and care.”
— L.E.
“Tina is extremely knowledgeable and caring, and made me feel safe, capable, and powerful during my birth. She brought calm and I highly recommend this practice to other families.”
— J.S.A.
“Tina was absolutely wonderful and provided a world of encouragement. As a plus-size mom, I especially appreciated her willingness to treat me as an individual and not just as a number on the scale.”
— C.C.
“I had an amazing pregnancy and birth experience at Aya! Tina and Melvay were knowledgeable, extremely kind, and supportive through every step. Even when I had doubts, they helped me feel confident and comfortable. I hope to be able to have all my future babies at Aya!”
— J.J.